Eight Ways
by baby-rose15
Summary: Eight Ways to say I love you, in eight little ficlets.


**This is mostly just a writing exercise for myself, to get back in the habit of writing on the regular, one of my many resolutions for 2013. And it's taken a while because I've been working on it constantly little bits at a time. But I thought I'd post it here for your enjoyment. It's 8 little parts inspired by "8 Ways to Say I love you" by R. Mckinely. I saw it on tumblr a while ago and the idea stuck. Anyway 8 ways to say I love you is below.**

**If I owned Castle I would have stepped up the Caskett just a touch in the last two episodes.  
**

* * *

_Number One:_

Texas for two days. That's all two days and three nights, so she's home alone for those three nights, and she should relish in it. Enjoy the time to do her own thing with out him constantly asking questions or just being in her space and instead she misses him. The noise, the way he seems to fill the room with just a smile, the way he always seems to just know even if it's he knows he messed up.

She has to fill the void with with other people and other sounds and distractions. It's a night with Lanie and a bottle of white wine that gets her into trouble. She's already hugged Lanie good night and sent her on her way but she's on the razors edge of buzzed and she can't help herself when she picks up the phone and calls to leave him a message because she knows he's in an event and won't be able to answer.

His ridiculous message plays in her ear and makes her grin thanks to the alcohol, and then the beep jostle her tongue and it just slips out "I love you." It's soft, sweet, and smooth over her tongue like the wine before it, and she instantly cringes pulling the phone away from her head and hitting the end button. When did she become such a light weight? Surely a sign that's time to go to bed.

So she puts it to the back of her chardonnay addled brain and brushes her teeth and crawls under the covers. The next morning she's woken not by her alarm or a body dump but rather a large body crawling into bed with her. He's all warm and wrinkled from the airplane, he must have decided that the red eye was the way to go, but he's here in her bed and that makes her happy until she remembers those three treacherous words that escaped thanks to his charm and her inability to hold her liquor.

But he just smiles at her panic face and hooks an arm round her waist pulling her against him even as his head hits the pillow, and actual sleep is pulling him under, he mumbles, "I love you too Kate."

He's out before she even releases the breath she'd been holding.

* * *

_Number Two:_

It's been a really warm winter, there's been one snow and they were stuck inside with a case. It wasn't even forecasted to snow but instead of raining like the weather guys said it would it laid down two inches of snow. He'd been so upset they'd missed it, pouted the whole way home. So this time when they step outside of the precinct, with every intention of going right home, to find it snowing she'd insisted that they walk through the park rather than hailing a cab.

For the first time since shes know him, he's quite, like a little kid, just smiling taking in the floating crystals of water blanketing the city. The city has go still and everything seems like it's sparkling, including her writer even as he's squeezing her fingers and pulling her up the hill so that they can stand in the middle of the park and and overlook the city.

"Thanks for walking with me Kate," he tells her softly turning to her to sweeping her hair behind her ear, using the same hand to brush her jaw gently. She can't help it and leans in breathing deeply through her nose to absorb the warm spiced scent that only Castle has as their foreheads come together.

His lips are soft against hers, the gentle scrape of his five o'clock shadow against her skin, even as he shifts and pulls her into a hug. "I love you," she breathes in his ear, even as her eyes drift closed and she just lets them stand there in the gently falling snow.

* * *

_Number Three:_

There's hundreds of candles. She doesn't know why she thought there should be candles, but she pulled all of them out and bought more. She's spent an hour lighting them, while his favorite meal is baking in the oven. She's wearing his favorite shirt, he has a hard time keeping his hands off her when she wears it. It's a combination of the color and it's just so soft that has him slipping his fingers over it and under it every time. She's had to stop wearing it to work, it was causing too many close calls.

She's nervous though. She's run her hands through her hair one to many times and her curls are spiraling a little out of control but she'd doesn't have time to fix it before he knocks on the door, not even giving her time to put her shoes on. Not that he'll mind, he has a thing about the height difference.

So she opens the door to find him clutching flowers, that appear to be hastily purchased at the corner store and she fights not to giggle because he looks as nervous as she feels. Instead she steps into him, onto her toes and presses a kiss to his lips grinning as his arms band around her back even as she drops down on her bare feet, dropping her head against his chest. Using his solid warm presence as a calming agent. So when he asks, "What's all this?" after taking in the apartment she can just smile and mumble into his chest, "I love you."

* * *

_Number Four:_

He came home hours ago without her. She'd needed to finish the paperwork on this hellish case and he couldn't actually handle being trapped in the precinct any longer, not after the day they had. So she'd sent him on home with the promise that she would come to his place when she finish. He'd known that it wouldn't be until late, but he'd insisted that if he left early she came to him afterwards. And really that wasn't all that difficult of a promise to make.

Especially now that she's standing in the doorway to his en suite bathroom with all the lights off, just watching him sleep rather than climbing into bed and dropping off into the oblivion with him. His hair is all mussed, probably because he's been tossing and turning a little bit without her there to anchor him, as he dropped off. But he seems to be out cold now, facing her side of the bed breathing deeply.

Her eyes catch the clock as she lets her eyes roam down his body. Yesh, no wonder he's out cold it's well past three and they'll probably have to be up early in the morning too. Pushing off the doorjamb she pads silently across the room, pausing only to check that her phone is plugged in before easing back the covers and slipping into bed, lining her body up in front of him. Because he is of course predictable and even in his sleep he wraps himself around her pressing a kiss to the back of her neck, and a whispers "I love you."

This time she doesn't stop herself from responding, "I love you too" even as sleep pulls her under.

* * *

_Number Five:  
_

The lights are out in the loft, except for the kitchen which gives off enough to cast shadows and places to hide across the whole first floor. It's in the shadow of the pillar that she's hiding, arms held to her chest trying to dampen the flashing light coming from the vest. She's fairly certain that he's gone into his office to avoid her, but that's not really ideal because he could loop through his bedroom and come back at her from the other entrance.

She needs to move. Get to somewhere with better cover, because next point wins, and winner gets to chose the movie and she really doesn't feel like watching _S__tar Wars_ tonight. Which is definitely going to be his pick given how he's been going on about it all day for no particular reason.

Slowly she shifts around the pillar scanning the area to make sure that he hasn't been hiding on just the other side of it this whole time. She lets out a steady breath, all she has to do is get to the piano. It provides enough coverage to block the vest and a good vantage point all at once, he hates it when she gets behind it because she has way better aim than he does with the clunky laser gun. But he's nowhere in sight so she should be able to get there and get the last point when he comes out. That's the plan, anyway.

She's not even two steps out from behind the pillar when he comes barreling out of the office, guns blazing, lasers shooting out all over the room, laughing maniacally. "I got you." He crows despite still not having landed a shot on the vest yet. And then he trips on the edge of the carpet and his glee at ambushing her turns into a headlong crash into her stomach propelling them both into the couch.

She can't help it. She laughs. Even as he scrambles up onto the couch properly, kneeling between her legs looking down at her with such boyish glee at his supposed win, clutching his gun. "I love you," tumbles out between breaths and he freezes and time seems to stretch out what was a second into hours before she recovers just enough to lift her gun and hits the target in the middle of his chest, "Especially when I win."

* * *

_Number Six:  
_

Burke made her do it. That's her story and she's sticking to it. The good doctor sent her home and told her to tell him, because after last week he though it was important for her to get those words out. Of course, she couldn't just say them. Oh no, that would be way too easy and since when does she do anything the easy way?

So she'd settled for trying to write it out. He'd written her books with his love, surely she could write just a simple letter. Except she can't. When she gets stuck staring at a blank sheet of stationary she tries to outline it. But that doesn't work. Then she takes to jotting down reasons as she goes about her business for days. But then one day she manages to just write it on a sticky note. It doesn't look nearly as intimidating as it feels but she still can't just give it to him so she folds it up and stuffs it in her jacket pocket. And completely forgot about it.

Until two days later when he's trying to find her some gloves for her as she packs her stuff for the day. He's shoving his hands into the pockets of all her other coats. That's when her heart stops, and she remembers the little piece of blue paper folded up in the bottom of the pocket of the red jacket. But before she can tell him that they're aren't gloves in there he's pulling it out and unfolding it.

Reading it.

It's the space of a heart beat before he looks up at her, and he's smiling. He doesn't say anything though just smiles, folds it up and slips into his pocket before he continues searching for the elusive leather gloves. Which, of course, are in the next jacket he checks. He brings them to her without a word, as she arranges the bags shes carrying to take them from him. Then he can't help himself and leans in and catches her lips in a kiss that's so bright and happy it might as well be shooting sparks. She tips into him, taking as much happiness from him as possible.

* * *

_Number Seven:  
_

Why the hell does he get into more trouble without her than he ever does when they're together? The worst part is he's never looking for it and all the sudden he's in the middle of a bank robbery or he's caught by mobsters. Or there's an explosion at the building he's supposedly in all day for meetings.

Seriously she's going to chain him to her side. At least then she knows they'll survive together. They won't let her past the barricade though, apparently she's non-essential in this instance. She can't get through on her phone and the one in ten times it goes through it goes straight to voicemail.

There are people coming out though, most looking a little dazed, maybe some smoke inhalation but otherwise alright. But still, there are ambulances, and now she can hear the structural engineer questioning the integrity of the remaining portions of building, there seems to be a fear that the building might just come crashing down at any moment and now they have to be careful about who they send in to rescue those trapped inside for fear of losing more people.

But they can't give in just yet, he's still inside. She's shouting at the nearest uniform waving her badge trying to get the attention of someone, anyone, to tell. And then it doesn't matter he comes stumbling out of the building carrying someone that his way more hurt than he his. Then the boundaries and the people keeping her out don't matter as she pushes her way past everyone and to him where he is handing off the woman in his arms to a paramedic.

Colliding with him just as he turns around, she bands her arms around him. "I'm never letting you out of my sight again." She says fiercely into his neck. "I can't lose you. I love you."

* * *

_Number Eight:  
_

They come home together from work and she doesn't even hesitate as she drops her work bag on the floor by the door and walks back to the bedroom, shucking all her layers and tossing them into the hamper by the closet before pulling her yoga pants and sweatshirt back on. Piling her hair on top of her head as she goes back out into the living area.

There he is puttering around her kitchen throwing together dinner with the groceries he's taken to buying for her apartment, she's given up protesting it though because he's stopped complaining about the state of her fridge. He looks completely at home in her space though as he goes about simultaneously cooking and pulling out plates, silverware, and pouring them both glasses of wine, like this is just as much his home as the loft his and that makes her all warm and fuzzy inside.

Crossing the room to him she loops her arms around his waist and waits for him to turn to her, ducking into capture a kiss from her quickly before he straightens up again. Then it's not even a question to her she just tells him, "I love you."

His answering smile could power a small city, "I love you too." That's all he says as he smiles down at her for a moment longer before pressing a kiss to her forehead and turning back to dinner as though nothing has changed. But then again it hasn't really, it might have taken her months to say the words but they've been there in every moment for years. So nothing has to change. Although she could get used to saying the words a lot more often, they feel really good coming out of her mouth.

* * *

**Well there you go eight ways to say "I love you" Detective Beckett. Hopefully the show isn't as cliche as I am, but I wouldn't mind either way. Drop me a line and let me know what you thought.  
**

**Keep and eye out for me I've been working on a multi-chapter fic too.**

**Babyrose  
**


End file.
